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Asset Recovery Strategies in Focus for Solomon Islands Government

The Solomon Islands Government has committed to working closely with key stakeholders in disaster preparedness, recovery, and planning to minimize the risk of future disasters. This commitment was made during a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) and Disaster Recovery Framework (DRF) training held in Honiara earlier this year.

Training for Disaster Preparedness

The training brought together over 30 participants from various ministries, including eight women. Participants were trained to calculate the economic and social costs of disasters, inform recovery strategies, and assist in prioritizing reconstruction and recovery of physical and social structures of disaster-affected communities.

Challenges Faced by Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands has experienced its fair share of natural disasters, with frequently occurring climate and geophysical-related hazards. In 2007, an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale and subsequent tsunami hit Solomon Islands, causing the death of 20 people and destroying villages and livelihoods.

Promoting Resilient Development

UNDP’s RESPAC Project Manager, Noud Leenders, emphasized that post-disaster recovery processes should be used as opportunities to promote resilient development, rather than simply rebuilding in a way that replicates vulnerabilities. “Recovery and reconstruction are not just about getting back to business as usual; simply rebuilding will only replicate the conditions which make communities vulnerable to disasters in the first place,” he said.

Training Objectives

The training aimed to enhance institutional support structures, refresher mandatory post-disaster trainings, and stronger collaboration on data management and information sharing. It also focused on harmonizing the PDNA tool with Disaster Sector Assessment (DSA) to address loss components when disaster strikes.

Importance of Collaboration

Participants recognized the importance of working together to share critical information and data needed for disaster preparedness, planning, and rehabilitation. “When we all came together from various sectors and representatives of Government, we realized that we needed to work together,” said Anna Pitaboe, Statistician with the Ministry of Finance.

Partnerships and Collaboration

The training was organized by UNDP’s Disaster Resilience in the Pacific SIDS (RESPAC) project in collaboration with the Pacific Community (SPC) Pacific Resilience Programme (PREP), and the Solomon Islands National Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination (MDPAC) and the Disaster Management Office.